act COPY-Lanesboro moose may be same moose spotted in Peterson last month

Posted:
Wednesday, December 3, 2014 11:05 AM EST

LANESBORO, Minn. (KTTC) -- It's a story that captivated Lanesboro this weekend. On Friday, a moose showed up out of nowhere, walked through a neighborhood backyard, and disappeared.

As it turns out, the moose tracks led back to another southeast Minnesota town.

There was a moose sighting near Peterson and Rushford last month, and officials at the Whitewater Wildlife Area believe it is the same moose that made tracks through Lanesboro on Friday.

"There were several different people that have sighted it," said Bob Tangen of the Whitewater Wildlife Area. "It's staying pretty close to that area, at least for the time being."

The Lanesboro-Peterson moose is the second moose to be spotted in southeast Minnesota this winter. The first was seen near Sleepy Eye; it was later found dead. Officials say both moose wandered into the area to find new territory.

In fact, it's not the first moose to wander around Lanesboro.

"Closer to twenty years ago, a moose had also been down in the Lanesboro-Rushford area," said Tangen.

That moose was shot by a hunter who mistook it for a deer. However, the present-day moose is most likely still alive, so another possible moose sighting is not farfetched.

"We'll probably see and hear more sightings of this moose as it wanders somewhere else," said Tangen.

Moose sightings are extremely rare in southeast Minnesota. Only a dozen have been seen in the area since 2010.